Willett fishee



(No Model.)

W. FISHER.

BOB SLED.

Patented Feb. 23, 1886.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLETT FISHER, OF HOMER, NEV YORK.

BOB-SLED.

forming part cf Letters Patent No. 336,632, dated February 23, 1886.

Application filed July 31,1885. Serial No. 173.149.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLETT FISHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Homer, in the county of Cortland and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Bob-Sleds and Sleighs; and I do hereby declare the following to beafull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improved means for strengthening and supporting the body of sleds, bob-sleds, and sleighs; and it consists in the detailed construction of the saine, hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the manufacture of this class of devices heretofore it has been found extremely difficult, in all frame constructions, to furnish a sufficiently durable support between the runner and the beam above, to sustain the load which is usually placed upon them for any considerable length of time. The knee, usually inserted by means of mortises and tenons, however strongly braced, frequently works loose, owing` to the rigid construction of the sled and the ol'ttimes uneven surface over which it is drawn, and requires repair, or from a few months exposure to the weather the moisture which accumulates about the tenons so decays the wood as to necessitate the insertion of a new knee.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view showing the sideof myimproved device as applied to a sled. Fig. 2 is also a perspective view showing the end. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of Fig. l on the line X X, showing the line of connection between the lling-block and the beams; and Fig. et-is a modified form of the same.

A. represents a bobsled with runners B, constructed, in the usual way, of bent or sawed wood, having metal shoes C thereon, and D the cross-beams on the upper part of the framework. Upon the front and rear sides of the cross-beams I secure supporting-irons E and E,wl1ich extend from one runner to the other, and are semicrcularin form, by means of bolts (No model.)

e, which may be fastened by nuts or by riveting. The sul'iporting-irons in their circular shape are made to extend a sufficient distance below the beam to form the knees c' of the sled. A curved or arched filling-block, F, is secured to the under side and at a short distance from the end of the cross-beam, which is made to extend downward and outward to about onethird or one`half the distance from the crossbeam to the ruimer, and to fit within and between the supporting-irons E and E', to which it is secured by bolts e in the same manner as the cross-beam. At the lower extremity of the curved filling-block F, the depending portion of the supporting-iron E is bent forward and supportingiron E is bent backward to forni knees e', which brace in opposite directions, and are provided with feet e2, through which they are secured to the runner by means of bolts andnuts or rivets, thus forming a continuous supporting-iron on the front and rear ofthe cross-beam,which extends to the runner, forming bracing-knees. Through the ends of the cross-beam D a headed bolt or rod, G, is passed, which is secured through the lower end of the illingblock F by means of a nut, g, which serves as a brace to support the beam and to give additional strength to the knees below. These braces also secure the rave H to the ends of the cross-beams, which enables the rave to act as a strengthening-piece between the beams and support theknees against any unusual strain,having atendency to tilt the beams forward or backward.

There two of these sleds are used for one conveyance in order to facilitate turning, there is secured on the front sled the ordinaryiron circle or fifth-wheel, I,which is attached to the curved crosssupports J and pivotal block K, which rest on and are fastened to the crossbeams D. The front end of the sled orsleigh box is pivotally secured to the block K, to permit of a wide swinging movement in turning the conveyance around.

In Fig. 3 I have shown the filling-block F with a long bevel,f, on its upper curved surface, to enable it to be secured tothe crossbeam D by bolts et, or other means, to form a strengthening-brace of itself, while in Fig. 4 I have shown its slightly-beveled end f adapted IOO to abut against a shoulder of the cross-beam, and to be held in position by the bolts ethrough the supporting-irons E E.

While I may use either of these forms of attachment of the filling-block to the crossbeam, I prefer the form shown in Fig. 3 in the construction of my sled.

I usually make my supporting-irons of wrought-iron, but they may be made of any kind of malleable iron or steel; or, if desired, they may be cast of the form shown, or both irons may be cast in one piece, having a connecting-bar, e, on each side, as shown in dotted linesin Fig. l, and the eross-bea1n may be fitted in between them, as is also the filling-block.

I am aware that it is not new to construct a sled with curved wooden knees resting on thc runner and supporting the cross-beam above, with a metallic plate underneath such knee; nor 1s it new to attach bracing iron knees to the ends of the cross-beam and to the runner of the sled, but these l do not claim; but

Whatl do claim, and desire to secure by Let` ters Patent, is-

l. A sled or sleigh having two supportingirons extending from one runner to the other and attached to the cross-beam on its front and rear sides, the irons having a part of their depending portions bent forward and backward to form knees, and secured to the runners, as set forth.

2. The combination, with asled or sleigh having supportingirons extending across the runners and attached to the cross-beam on its front and rear sides, a part of the depending portion of the irons being bent forward and backward to form knees, of a curved llingblock secured between the depending irons and fastened to the crossvbeam, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with asled orsleigh having supporting-ironsV semicircular in form eX- tending from one runner to the other and se cured to the front and rear sides of the crossbeam, and having depending portions bent forward and backward to form bracing-knees, of a curved filling-block secured to the beam and between the supporting-irous, having a brace in its lower portion extending to the outer end of the cross-beam, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Y VILLETT FISHER. XVitnesses:

E. KEATOR, F. A. Woonwonrn. 

